Stop cuts to asylum seeker support payments

#RoofOverMyHead

There are currently 12,000 people on Status Resolution Support Service (SRSS) – people who arrived in Australia more than 5 years ago and waiting on the Government to provide them with a determination on their refugee status.

Recent changes to the SRSS are causing distress and creating further hardship for people seeking asylum in Australia. We are seeking your support to ask the Government to reconsider these changes.

The changes relate to people seeking asylum obtaining employment and re-assessing them as being potentially work-ready.

As people seeking asylum on bridging visas cannot access mainstream services, SRSS provides them with a basic safety net of support. The service includes fortnightly payments (89% of Newstart), case work support, and other small supports.

The current changes to eligibility include:

ceasing all SRSS support to people seeking asylum who study full-time, including English and/or gaining qualifications/skills to obtain work.

ceasing all SRSS support to people seeking asylum who have sent any funds overseas in the last 12 months.

requiring a higher threshold of proof from people seeking asylum who have a disability or health issue, than others applying for a disability pension.

We expect that there will only be 5000 people on this program after this group has been reassessed under the new policy.

Richard's story

Richard is seeking asylum in Australia. He converted to Christianity in Iran and fled after his Christian girlfriend was taken by the Islamic militia Basij. He attends a local church in southwest Sydney. Once a week, Richard drives a van to Flemington markets to buy food, which his mother cooks and he distributes to people who go without food in the community. He was successful in getting a full University scholarship given his commitment to community volunteering and exceptional High School results. However, Richard needs to complete a full-time English for Academic Purposes course at TAFE for him to go to university. He has been informed that he must cease his full time English studies to commence work. He will not be able to his access his scholarship and study at University after waiting over six years for this opportunity.

For more information:

The Federal Government’s Status Resolution Support Service (SRSS) program provides:

income support (about 89% of Newstart allowance)

case management, and

other supports for those seeking a protection visa who are in financial hardship.

The group that is undergoing reassessment of their SRSS eligibility have been living in the Australian community since 2012-13, and were barred from making an application for their refugee status until recently. They are now awaiting the resolution of their refugee claim. This group were also prevented from working legally or studying for the first 2-4 years of their residence in Australia, and were provided 42 hours of English language learning and minimal other supports.

The SRSS provided minimal but essential supports for people who have been waiting for resolution of their refugee status and who are now very close to final decisions.

We are starting to see the impact of these policy changes on the people in the community.

These policies need to be reconsidered. There is an assumption that people seeking asylum in Australia can work if they can study full time. Income support has been cut on this assumption without considering that many cannot find appropriate jobs without recognised qualifications or a certain level of English proficiency.

These changes are pushing an already vulnerable group into further hardship and limiting opportunities to build resilience and financial independence.

Many have been accessing case workers to assist them with settlement, accessing the services they need and community support. Now access to non-financial assistance will be removed.

These policies will deter asylum seekers from calling Australia home.

Anglicare is urging the Government to withdraw these changes to SRSS. They are counterproductive if Australia wants to harness the skills and potential that these people have to offer.